


#4

by AceOnMain (Sangrylah)



Series: Itachi's Daycare For Maladjusted Children [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Gen, I didn't know it was that short, It was supposed to be fluff, Itachi is having a bad week, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sangrylah/pseuds/AceOnMain
Summary: Itachi makes a clothing choice.Reading of the first works in the series recommended for understanding.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke
Series: Itachi's Daycare For Maladjusted Children [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965778
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	#4

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot to post this one earlier, sorry!  
> I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.  
> Warning in the end note!  
> Finally, thank you all for the comments and kudos ♥ I'm not very good at replying to comments, but i appreciate every single one and they make me all warm inside!

They cross the border.

Behind them lies Fire Country, and in front of them lies their new life. It looks a lot like trees.

It was night in Fire Country; it’s night in Hot Water country. The air is the same. The forest noises are the same. Everything is the same.

Nothing has changed.

Nothing has changed except them. Deserters, now. Fugitives.

Well. More like missing nins.

Or, one missing nin and two (very valuable) captives.

He really did not think this through. This is a clusterfuck the likes of which no one has prepared Itachi for. One did not train for treason.

A sigh. He can’t think about this now. He has to focus on getting the kids as far away as possible from the border.

But first…

First.

His fingers are numb when he raises them, numb when they root about, numb when they close on the tight knot. Numb when he breathes in, closes his eyes, and unties the knot.

Numb when the cool night air touches the space his hitai-ate used to sit on and protect.

The metal rests heavy in his hands. He breathes out and tries to convince himself that it doesn’t shake, that his heart isn’t compressed so hard behind his ribs it hurts, no, not at all. He takes his hitai-ate off every day, every night before going to bed. This is no different. He tries to convince himself, and succeeds, and then he walks to the nearest tree and starts digging.

The lie shatters as easily as the earth parts under his fingers.

He digs his nails in, pushes and pulls and claws and renders. His hands are cold. His heart is pounding. His ears are whistling. He can’t breathe.

And then there is a little hand on his forehead, and a little voice in his ear, and the world stops.

“It’s okay, Nii-san.”

Sasuke.

Sasuke.

_Sasuke_.

His heart opens like one of the seeds their mum crushes to cook rice, sharp and sudden and swift. It hurts. Itachi breathes in and breathes out.

Sasuke.

Sasuke and Naruto.

_Sasuke_.

He takes that little, unsoiled hand in his own and breathes while the cool night air touches the space his hitai-ate used to sit and protect.

He looks at Sasuke looking at him, kneeling in returned foreign soil, with big, big eyes. His brother. So small, and so scared, and so, so brave.

Itachi breathes in. Sasuke. Sasuke. Okay.

Letting go of his little hand feels physically painful but Itachi needs both his hands to get this done as fast as possible. He drops the slab of useless metal in the hole he tore in the ground and thoroughly packs the earth over it. Sasuke kicks leaves over it with his little stick legs. Naruto shyly offers up three twigs. He looks scared. Itachi wants to pet his head. Instead, he gestures for Naruto to apply the cover up himself, and nods firmly when Naruto bashfully glances at him.

He stands up and brushes the crushed earth off of his knees. Sasuke and Naruto look up at him, side by side, twin expressions of tired trust on their little faces.

These are children. They are small and weak. They are dependant and reliant on adults. Itachi has, by virtue of him plucking them out of their known environment, become the only reliable adult around.

Itachi doesn’t have the time to freak out.

What Itachi has is a mission, and two highly valuable, tiny assets to protect.

Itachi has never lost an asset yet and he doesn’t plan on starting now. These children will not be quieted.

One can take the hitai-ate off the shinobi, and the shinobi out of the ANBU, but not the ANBU out of the shinobi.

Itachi walks away, his forehead bare and his fingers wrapped tight around breathing children’s little hands. 

**Author's Note:**

> Specific warning: Itachi has somme sort of panic attack/dissociative episode in this one. Please proceed with caution according to your needs!


End file.
